A UNION leader last night blasted several Merseyside MPs who performed a last-minute about-turn and backed the Government in the crucial top-up fees vote on Tuesday.

Alec McFadden, president of Merseyside TUC, said he had been given assurances that the vast majority of local Labour MPs would not support the controversial Bill.

But last night, Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford, who backed the Bill, said he was questioning Chancellor Gordon Brown only 15 minutes before the vote.

Mr Hesford signed the original motion against the top-up fees.

He said: "I met with the Prime Minister and the Chancellor on the day of the vote. In fact I was still talking to Gordon Brown at 6.45pm, just 15 minutes before the vote.

"He was going through the legislation and satisfying me that the changes which we wanted had been made."

Just two local Labour MPs - West Derby's Bob Wareing and Walton's Peter Kilfoyle - voted against the Government.

Apart from Mrs Hesford, five others who had originally signed the motion against the Bill decided to back it in the division lobbies.

Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside), Angela Eagle (Wallasey), Joe Benton (Bootle), Eddie O'Hara ( Knowsley South) and Colin Pickthall (West Lancs) were persuaded to back Tony Blair on the must-win vote, while Warrington North's Helen Jones abstained. Mr McFadden said: "It is difficult to understand, or respect, those Labour MPs on Merseyside who changed their minds over the past two days and voted with the Govern-ment on this Bill, who gave no real concessions whatsoever.

"My view is that they put their political party and their political careers first - and the future of our young people last."

Hannah Charnock, president of Liverpool's Guild of Students, said: "MPs like Louise Ellman and Jane Kennedy who have thousands of students in their constituencies have ignored the wishes of those they are supposed to represent."

Louise Ellman said: "I worked with other MPs to persuade the Government to improve financial support for students, restore up-front grants, protect those from poorer families and hold an independent review of the charges"."